Closed Doors, Open Eyes
by Pink Raccoon
Summary: It takes place toward the end of the series. Kagome goes home to study for exit exams and Inuyasha comes after her, only to find Hoyjo confessing his love! Something mysterious is happening to the bone eaters well. I wrote this on a burst of Inuyasha with


Inuyasha gazed into the Bone Eater's Well impatiently. He had been here many times before, contemplating whether or not to jump in and bring her back. In a burst of anger he sprung from his spot. "I don't need you anyway! I can do this on my own!" He began to march into the forest. Kagome had left for something important, something called an exam. He wasn't sure why she was so set on taking it, but apparently this one mattered more than any of the other ones she'd left for. This one would get her into a different school.

"Keh!" , Inuyasha scoffed at no one in particular and began to climb a tree. He found a familiar branch and laid back, observing the sunset. Why did she have to leave at such a crucial time? Last they fought Naraku they had almost destroyed him. Come to think of it, they had almost destroyed him a few times. Now that Naraku held the whole of the Shikon jewel, there was no telling what his next move would be. His impatience surged again.

"Stupid!" He yelled, lurching forward and throwing his words at the well. When it failed to reply, he jumped off of the branch and moved toward it. "You think I'll just wait, don't you! Well…" With one hand he pushed himself over the wooden side and fell into a tunnel of darkness.

Kagome's vision blurred slightly as she tried to take in the algebra equations in front of her. Hoyjo had been over since the end of school, trying to help her for the next portion of the exam tomorrow. Her eyes found her new digital clock, and she sighed at the numbers.

"Is something wrong?" Hoyjo stopped explaining for a moment. "I'm sorry, am I boring you?"

Kagome felt a surge of guilt. "No! Not at all! You've been a lot of help. Thanks so much for offering to tutor me." She smiled. "I'm just tired."

There was a knock at Kagome's door.

"Yes?" Kagome felt thankful for any interruption.

Kagome's mother stuck her head into the room. "Dinner is ready. You'll be staying, won't you Hoyjo-kun?"

"I couldn't impose."

"Don't be silly!" Kagome's mother insisted.

Hoyjo bowed his head humbly, "thank you, Ms. Higurashi."

Kagome's mother giggled at the formality. "Such a sweet boy," she said before walking back down the stairs.

Hoyjo closed his book, "So you understood that chapter, right?"

"Um, I think so. Some parts are still a little fuzzy, but you're a good teacher, so I'm not worried." Kagome laughed quietly and stretched from her seat.

"Higurashi…" Hoyjo said after a moment. "I've been meaning to ask you…" He looked at everything in the room except for Kagome.

Kagome blinked in confusion. "Yes?"

"You always turn me down when I try to go places with you, and you're always staring out the window in class, like you're waiting for something. A-and I was wondering if its because you are in love with someone. I mean-i-it's none of my business, but I heard some of the girls talking and they mentioned that you are dating someone, and he doesn't treat you very well." Hoyjo's face began to burn bright red. He finally turned to Kagome, who was gazing at the ground.

Inuyasha raced through the yard and stood beneath Kagome's window. He looked around and hoped up, grabbing the window's ledge. He squinted at the sudden brightness of the room. In an instant he froze. Hoyjo was grasping Kagome's hands.

"I'll always be here, Higurashi, and if you ever need me, I'll protect you."

Kagome blushed, "Hoyjo-kun…"

In a burst of courage, Hoyjo reached forward and put and hand on Kagome's face. He began to lean in.

His hands were ripped from hers as Inuyasha picked up Hoyjo and pushed him into the wall. He grimaced, and opened his eyes wide with fear. Inuyasha bared his fangs.

"INUYASHA!" Kagome screamed out. "SIT!"

Inuyasha released Hoyjo just in time to be slammed two inches into the floor. Kagome's terrified classmate back away from him.

"Hoyjo, I'm so sorry!" She pleaded, looking at the claw marks in his shoulders.

Inuyasha began to rise onto his elbows.

Kagome noticed, "SIT!"

The air was knocked out of him as he once again met his friend, the floor.

"Is that him?" Hoyjo winced.

Kagome could not bring herself to look at either of them. He carefully reached toward the desk and gathered his things. He couldn't quite explain the sort of person he just saw. He reminded Hoyjo of a dog.

"I'm sorry! Please don't leave, you're hurt."

Hoyjo glanced at the half-dead Inuyasha on the floor. "Just…remember what I said. I'll see you at school tomorrow." With that he was gone.

Kagome turned around as Inuyasha sat up, feeling his own shoulder. Kagome was lost on where to direct her anger.

"Exams, huh?" Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome's anger surged. "WHAT! You think I came back here to see Hoyjo-Kun! You are the most-"

"What am I supposed to think when I come here and you guys are all over each other!", Inuyasha yelled out.

"You're a JERK!" Kagome turned away and crossed her arms.

Inuyasha stood, "Fine then, I'll just go back, and you can do whatever the hell you want. See if I care!" Inuyasha ran towards the window and jumped down. Kagome fell to the floor and grasped the carpet in a mixture of rage and confusion. The door creaked open.

Kagome's mother rushed in upon seeing her. "Oh honey, what happened? Hoyjo-kun just went out the front door without saying a word. Did you guys fight?" She placed her hands on Kagome's shoulders.

"Something like that," replied Kagome. She stood while her mother remained crouched on the floor. "I'll be back, okay Mom?" She rushed towards the door.

"But honey, where are you going?" There was no answer as Kagome quickly put on her shoes and rushed out the door.

Once in the cold night air, she was unsure of exactly where she was planning to run. She could either chase Hoyjo or go to the well. After a moment of hesitation, she began to walk slowly towards the well. The moon provided little light as she passed beneath the old tree and approached the door way. The overpowering darkness made her pause, and she contemplated going back and getting a flashlight. With a huff she felt her way down the steps and over the ledge of the well.

Her falling was interrupted. Pain pulsed through her, but the fall had been cushioned by something. She sat up and tried to make sense out of the pitch black.

"…Do you mind getting off me…?" Inuyasha's voice was a low growl. Kagome flinched and rose. Her hands met the wooden walls of the well.

"What happened?", she tried to blink away the blindness, "Inuyasha?"

"…I don't know. I tried to leave and for some reason I couldn't." He tilted his head upward, "we should be able to get out. I don't think it's that deep."

Kagome felt an arm around her middle, and put her arms around Inuyasha's neck as they leapt from the well into the open air. He carried her through the doorway and they stood in the waning moonlight.

"Why were you trying to go down the well?" Inuyasha pointed out.

Kagome realized that she was supposed to be mad, and freed herself from him. "Uh, that's not the issue here. What happened to the well? This is really strange."

Inuyasha turned around, as though the answer would come from the dark room. He began to be filled with worry, "do you think it could be Naraku?"

Kagome sighed. "I wouldn't put it past him. But how would he find out-" Kagome stopped herself.

"I guess there's not much we can do except wait," Inuyasha pointed out. Kagome nodded solemnly. They walked back to the guiding light of the house in contemplative silence.

Once she had helped her family make a bed for Inuyasha in Sota's room (that he wasn't going to use anyway), Kagome walked into her own room and fell onto her bed in exhaustion. She glanced at her desk, remembering the exam should would have to tackle tomorrow. How could she possibly concentrate now?

She rolled onto her back and clicked off her light. She had the fleeting notion of changing for bed, but decided she'd rather die than move. Despite the thoughts that hurdled through her mind, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

After a few hours, a grey figure wandered into her room. The floor creaked as it crept towards her. She opened her eyes and remained still. Had something come through the well and sealed it behind it? Kagome thought about where her bow and arrow were located: there was no way she could grab it in time. In determination, she grabbed both ends of her pillow. The shadow came to her bedside. She swung the pillow at it with every ounce of her might.

"Ow!" Inuyasha fell back, mostly from surprise.

Kagome jerked up and turned the light on. Inuyasha sat on her floor.

"…Did you just attack me with a pillow?"

Kagome was speechless.

Inuyasha sighed, "You are so-"

"You're right, I should have hit you with something harder! Why are you sneaking into my room in the middle of the night!" , Kagome's face grew red, against her own will.

Inuyasha suddenly realized what implications such a situation could have. "What! Who'd want to sneak into your room! I was just-"

"Sit."

Inuyasha was pulled forward by the force of the curse, landing face first on Kagome's floor…again. He pulled himself up. "What's your problem!"

"What's _my_ problem! First you burst into my room and attack my _friend_, then you accuse me of coming back just to have some little rendezvous with him, and THEN you creep into my room in the middle of the night just to insult me."

Inuyasha bounded to his feet, clenching both fists. "I couldn't help it, okay! And I didn't come in here to insult you. I came in here to-", he stopped. Kagome was shocked to silence. "You know what, forget it." He turned to walk out the door.

"Inuyasha," Kagome sighed. He froze, but didn't turn around. "Hoyjo-kun was helping me with some things that are going to be in my exam tomorrow. He's just a good friend, I don't see him that way…What you saw, whatever it was, was a misunderstanding. And I'm sorry."

The hanyou turned around to face her.

"Will you stay with me? I mean…I'd just feel safer," Kagome reached for the pillow on the floor.

Inuyasha walked voicelessly over and sat on the end of her bed, assuming his normal arm and leg crossed sleeping position.

Kagome laid back and pulled up her covers. She felt much better. Just before she nodded off, she heard Inuyasha whisper.

"I'm sorry."


End file.
